The Japanese PM's office said that at least one missile fired from North Korea flew over Japan and was believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean.
On Tuesday, North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan, escalating tests of weapons designed to strike key targets in regional US allies, its neighbours said.
This is North Korea's most substantial missile test since January when it fired the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile capable of reaching the US territory of Guam. This is also the first time that a North Korean missile flew over Japan since 2017.
The Japanese Prime Minister's office said that at least one missile fired from North Korea flew over Japan and was believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean.
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Japanese authorities issued a 'J-alert' to residents in northeastern regions to evacuate to buildings nearby, the first such alert since 2017. Trains were temporarily suspended in Japan's Hokkaido and Aomori regions before their operations were resumed after a government notice that the North Korean missile appeared to have landed in the Pacific.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that "the firing, which followed a recent series of launches by North Korea, is a reckless act and I strongly condemn it." He said he will a National Security Council to discuss the situation.
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Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said there have been no immediate reports of damage reported after the North's missile launch. He said the missile landed in waters outside the country's exclusive economic zone after a 22-minute flight.
South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol said North Korea launched an intermediate-range missile whose range is 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles). It is a range that places Guam within striking distance.
The launch is the fifth round of weapons tests by North Korea in the past 10 days in what was seen as an apparent response to bilateral military drills between South Korea and the United States and the allies' other training involving Japan last week. North Korea views such drills as an invasion rehearsal.
(With ANI inputs)
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